40 Legislators Named Guardians of Small Business

Date: July 12, 2014

News Release From NFIB/Arizona

PHOENIX, Ariz., June 2, 2014—The National Federation of Independent Business announced today that 27 members of the Arizona House of Representatives and 13 members of the Arizona Senate earned its coveted Guardian of Small Business award for their perfect voting records on small-business issues during the 51st Arizona Legislature.

The small business group also highlighted four extraordinary lawmakers from the ranks of the Guardians who distinguished themselves as NFIB/Arizona’s Legislators of the Year.

“When they look in the mirror every legislator thinks he or she sees a small-business champion even though for many it’s only a politically convenient delusion,” said Farrell Quinlan, Arizona state director for NFIB. “The 40 Guardians of Small Business never wavered in their solidarity with Arizona’s small-business owners. These legislators delivered solid proof, instead of a fleeting pose, on the issues most critical to the survival and success of our small businesses.”

Senators Gail Griffin (R-Hereford LD14) and Steve Yarbrough (R-Chandler LD17) are recipients of the 2014 NFIB/Arizona Senator of the Year awards. Representatives J.D. Mesnard (R-Chandler LD17) and Justin Olson (R-Mesa LD25) are recipients of the 2014 NFIB/Arizona Representatives of the Year awards.

NFIB/Arizona will honor all of the Guardians of Small Business at a reception in July when each will receive a certificate noting their achievement, and the four Legislators of the Year receive NFIB’s signature Minuteman trophy awarded to deserving members of Congress and state legislatures.

A complete list of Guardian of Small Business award recipients is available here. For the full 2013-2014 NFIB/Arizona Legislative Voting Record, revealing the performance of every legislator on key small-business votes from the last two regular sessions, click here.

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For more than 70 years, the National Federation of Independent Business has been the Voice of Small Business, taking the message from Main Street to the halls of Congress and all 50 state legislatures. NFIB annually surveys its members on state and federal issues vital to their survival as America's economic engine and biggest creator of jobs. NFIB’s educational mission is to remind policymakers that small businesses are not smaller versions of bigger businesses; they have very different challenges and priorities.